1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to poured concrete walls and, more particularly, to an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional concrete wall construction is well known in the art of building a structure. For example, in a house, basement walls may be constructed of poured concrete. To build a poured concrete wall, a temporary form is prepared in the desired shape of the wall. In the past, the form was made from plywood or metal. Recently, the forms have been made from other materials, including foamed plastic. The form is usually constructed at the site of the structure.
The form is maintained in an upright position during the construction process using extensive bracing. For example, 2.times.4 studs may be used as braces. After the form is prepared, concrete is poured into the form and allowed to harden. The form is then removed from the hardened concrete wall.
Recently, concrete walls have been constructed from a combination of materials, to improve their insulating efficiency. In an insulated concrete wall, the wall is made from a combination of an insulating material and concrete. The insulating material is a permanent form, which becomes an integral part of the wall. Usually, the form is made from an insulating material, such as a dense plastic foam. Advantageously, a wall section may be pre-assembled from a plurality of forms and transported to the construction site for assembly into the desired shape of the structure. An example of a preassembled insulated form assembly is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/108,741, filed Jul. 1, 1998 entitled "Insulated Form Assembly For Poured Concrete Wall", which is hereby incorporated by reference. After the walls are assembled, passageways within the insulated form assembly are filled with concrete to complete the walls of the structure. The resulting insulated concrete wall has the strength of a poured concrete wall, with the additional advantages of providing thermal and acoustical insulation, an air and vapor barrier, and exterior wall sheathing. The disadvantage of such an insulated concrete wall is that another object cannot be directly attached to the wall due to the tensile characteristics of the insulated material. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an insulated form assembly for a poured concrete wall that allows attachment of an object to the wall with improved tensile characteristics.